Chula Vista vision: Park changes concern some residents

The beginning of the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan was in 2002, approximately a year before the founders of the Crossroads II Organization started talks to form a new nonprofit mutual benefit corporation. This organization was to be the successor to Crossroads I, which was comprised of many civic leaders and highly engaged residents but had fulfilled its mission and disbanded in 1993.

The mission of Crossroads II is to keep Chula Vista a great place to live by monitoring land development and other issues of significant community concern to Chula Vista residents. We disseminate information to our members and to the community at large. We believe that Chula Vista should develop as a distinct community with its own unique identity and special character. I must insist that our group is not anti-growth, we are pro smart growth.

When the Port of San Diego hired a team to design a master plan for our bayfront, it was decided that the process would be transparent and inclusive. The formation of a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) was accomplished to hold many public meetings and included representatives from 20 organizations, including Crossroads II. What emerged from all these meetings over several years was a consensus plan that included a “Signature Park” that was to be 35 acres, in a prime location on the bay with the hope that this would be a park where outdoor concerts would be held, or large rallies – in other words, a wonderful gathering place for people from our city and the whole South Bay region.

Known as “Option C” at the time, it later became the “Harbor Park Plan.” The CAC unanimously endorsed the location of a signature park, north of the marina. The port and city, along with the CAC, all adopted Option C. The signature park would not only be a nice park for the people, but was to be the initial factor that would attract more and more people to the bayfront. In time, the growing interest would stimulate business, and we were told that the hotels would be the last to be built because of a lack of an attraction.

Unexpectedly, Gaylord Hotels showed up in 2005 and was interested in being part of the development. Their business model was unique in that it was not dependent on local visitors. They rotated conventions among their four locations with a different theme at each one. Not surprisingly, Gaylord wanted our prime park location for themselves, and since this project would provide funding for infrastructure immediately, Crossroads II agreed to change the location of our “Signature Park.” After many false starts and broken negotiations, Gaylord left town and won’t be coming back. So, did we return to Option C? No, our prime spot would now be reserved for another hotel/convention developer, and we were left out once more.

I would describe the design of our new park as a linear promenade that started north of the yacht club and hugged the coast, culminating in an 18- to 20-acre park in a much more environmentally sensitive wetlands area northeast of the Marine Group Boatworks. After the terms of a “settlement agreement” between the Environmental Health Coalition, the city and the port were made known, it was clear that this altered park plan was not acceptable. Not only was the main segment 400 feet from the water, there were restrictions on amplified sounds, lighting, food vending and other uses that a true signature park would allow.

There are many other concerns that Crossroads II has about the overall bayfront master plan. The sheer mass of the project, with at least 12 buildings in the range of 100 to 220 feet in height, is truly out of character with any part of Chula Vista. At build-out, unmitigatable traffic at freeway interchanges result in a level of service below F (the worst designation).

There are other concerns that Crossroads II and our newly formed Better Bayfront Coalition have, but we are currently in negotiations. The outcome has not been finalized.

To summarize, what we have is a plan that has a lot of amenities for higher-income people, including luxury condominiums and hotels, a convention center and lots of shopping opportunities, but the average residents of Chula Vista are left with a promenade-style park squeezed between massive development and the bay and a separate park surrounded by wetlands and brush. This is the last chance to ensure that there is something in the plan for everyone, not just the wealthy.